Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 24 November (HL Deb, col 2050), on what evidence the statement that "we are building more houses than ever before" was based.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The government’s policies mean that we have delivered nearly 900,000 new homes in England since 2010 and private new build housing starts are at their highest financial year level since 2007/08. Our planning reforms also mean that major planning applications determined on time are at the highest percentage on record. However, we acknowledge that we have not been building enough homes in England for decades and that we have more to do. The Autumn Statement set out £5.3 billion of investment to build more homes. We will set out a further comprehensive package of reform to boost housing supply and halt the decline in housing affordability in a Housing White Paper to be published in January.

Travellers: Community Relations

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will undertake to replace the funding currently available through Local Economic Partnerships from the European Structural Funds and European Development Fund for supporting the economic integration of UK Roma and Gypsy populations, after the UK has left the EU.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Leaving the EU means we will be able to take our own decisions about whether and how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. Over the coming months, we will consult closely with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK’s national interest.

Non-domestic Rates: Greater London

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest estimate of the effect on London local authority budgets of the proposed retention of business rates.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: By the end of the Parliament, local government will retain 100 per cent of taxes raised locally, giving councils control of additional £12.5 billion of business rates to spend on local services. To ensure the reforms are fiscally neutral, new responsibilities will be devolved to local authorities. We recently conducted a consultation on our approach to the implementation of 100 per cent Business Rates Retention. There were over 450 responses, including 26 from individual London boroughs and a joint response from the Greater London Authority and London Councils. My officials are currently considering all responses and we will publish a summary of the responses and our proposals for the broad way forward in due course.In the meantime, we will continue close collaboration with local government in taking this work forward, including through the Business Rates Retention Steering Group, which is jointly chaired by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The Steering Group was established to consider the mechanisms needed to set up and run the new business rates system, as well as the timetable and implementation of the reforms. It oversees the work of a set of technical working groups, each looking at particular aspects of the reforms. The Group meets on a regular basis and has done so on 7 occasions since April 2016. All papers for meetings are published here:http://www.local.gov.uk/business-rates

Council Tax: Fraud

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to assist local authorities to combat council tax fraud.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: In March, the government published the sector-produced Local Government Counter Fraud and Corruption Strategy. This set out a series of recommendations encouraging councils, to enhance their capability to tackle all types of fraud including Council Tax. In November the government published the National Fraud Initiative report which detailed the cancellation, by local authorities, of over 37,000 Council Tax Single Person Discount claims for fraud and error over the last two years as a result of the data matches provided by NFI. £11 million of underpayments are being recovered and future underpayments of £24 million have been prevented.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Ofgem: Finance

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the source of funding for Ofgem; whether it levies fees and charges; and if so, (1) under what authority, (2) against whom, and (3) what mechanisms there are for challenging the level of those fees and charges.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Ofgem’s annual budget is approved by Parliament but its main funding comes from the licence fee it is able to levy on licence holders under the Gas Act 1986 and the Electricity Act 1989. Through its Forward Work Programme, Ofgem agrees its annual licence fee (and any amendments to this) in consultation with licence holders, and publishes its cost recovery principles on its website. The basic principle is that costs are recovered from network licensees in line with the proportion of gas or electricity customers that are directly connected to their respective networks. Ofgem also charges cost-reflective fees to consider applications for new licences or licence variations. It also receives some funding directly from Government for the administration of environmental schemes. There is no formal mechanism to appeal against the level of the licence fee, although Ofgem is subject to Parliamentary scrutiny and must abide by the principles for Fees, Charges and Levies set out in Managing Public Money:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/454191/Managing_Public_Money_AA_v2_-jan15.pdf



Managing Public Money
(PDF Document, 1.61 MB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Turkey: Military Coups

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the actions of the government of Turkey in arresting and detaining people and dismissing judges, prosecutors and academics following the coup d’état earlier this year.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: In the aftermath of the coup attempt we have emphasised the need for Turkey to respect human rights, including press freedom, and the rule of law. It is vital that the Turkish Government’s response to the coup attempt be demonstrably lawful and measured, and undertaken in line with Turkey’s international obligations. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), raised these issues at the highest level during his visit to Turkey on 25-27 September. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Sir Alan Duncan) reiterated these messages to senior Turkish interlocutors during his visit to Turkey on 19 October and with Turkey’s Minister for Europe, Omer Celik, most recently in a telephone call on 7 November. We will continue to engage with the Turkish Government at all levels over these issues and monitor the situation closely.

Turkey: EU Accession

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they continue to recommend the accession of Turkey to the EU in the light of the decision that the UK should leave it; and if so, why.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As and when the requirements for accession are met in full, it will be for Turkey and European Union members at the time to decide on membership. That point remains some way off.

Rwanda: Burundi

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 22 September (HL1691), what additional assistance is being given to alleviate heightened tensions between the governments of Rwanda and Burundi.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Burundi's increasing self-imposed international isolation, and the deterioration in Burundi's relationships within the region, including Rwanda, is particularly worrying. The recent restrictions imposed by Burundi on cross-border trade will further exacerbate the serious negative economic impact of the crisis on the lives of Rwandans and Burundians. The UK, with international partners, continues to support a range of efforts to promote dialogue and ease tension in the region. We have worked with EU and Security Council partners to deliver strong messaging to the government of Burundi. We have imposed EU sanctions on individuals responsible for violence; and suspended direct EU aid to the government.The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) visited Rwanda and Burundi in December 2015 to urge all parties to act responsibly to reduce violence. We have been clear in our public and private dialogue with Rwanda on the need for neighbours to play a responsible stabilising role in Burundi and to avoid retaliating to antagonism. The Department for International Development continues to support Burundian refugees in Rwanda, and has provided £17 million since 2015.

Department for Education

Teachers: Training

Baroness Donaghy: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many core initial teacher training places were allocated for 2017–18 to higher education institutions, apportioned by primary and secondary phases and broken down by individual secondary subject.

Baroness Donaghy: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many core initial teacher training places were allocated for 2017–18 to school-centred initial teacher training, apportioned by primary and secondary phases and broken down by individual secondary subject.

Baroness Donaghy: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many initial teacher training places were allocated for 2017–18 to School Direct fee-paying routes linked with higher education institutions, apportioned by primary and secondary phases and broken down by individual secondary subject.

Baroness Donaghy: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many initial teacher training places were allocated for 2017–18 to School Direct fee-paying routes linked with school-centred initial teacher training, apportioned by primary and secondary phases and broken down by individual secondary subject.

Baroness Donaghy: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many initial teacher training places were allocated for 2017–18 to School Direct salaried routes linked with higher education institutions, apportioned by primary and secondary phases and broken down by individual secondary subject.

Baroness Donaghy: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many initial teacher training places were allocated for 2017–18 to School Direct salaried routes linked with school-centred initial teacher training, apportioned by primary and secondary phases and broken down by individual secondary subject.

Lord Nash: We will publish the full list of allocations for 2017-18 by subject and route in due course. This information will comprise data on both primary and secondary phase, inclusive of all provider-led and school direct trainee places.

Outdoor Education

Lord Bird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Youth Hostels Association England and Wales report A year of positive change: Our Impact Review 2015/16, what plans they have to ensure that every child experiences outdoor and residential learning opportunities as part of a primary school education.

Lord Nash: Outdoor and residential education can play an important role in children’s development. When activities are structured and organised effectively, they can provide young people with stimulating experiences which build on the knowledge and understanding they gain through classroom lessons. Schools have the freedom to plan and deliver curriculums that meet the educational needs and interests of their pupils, provided that they meet any statutory requirements. School leaders and teachers are in the best position to use their professional judgement to decide whether outdoor education meets the needs of their pupils, and to plan lessons and use their budgets accordingly.

Schools: Standards

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the reasons for the UK's static position over the last three years, and in particular its decline in the maths ratings, with reference to the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment results for 2015.

Lord Nash: The Government is committed to raising standards in mathematics to reflect the best practice in the world. In the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015, 15 year olds in the UK perform at the OECD average in mathematics. Although the UK dropped one place in the PISA rankings for mathematics since 2012 – from 26th to 27th – five more countries took part in the study and the UK’s score of 494 remained the same from 2012 to 2015.We continue to reform our primary and secondary curriculum and standards. The first cohort is due to take the new GCSEs in mathematics next summer. The pupils who sat the 2015 PISA assessment in England were born around the year 2000 and have experienced little of the changes introduced since 2010, and virtually none of the reforms in primary education.

Extended Schools

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for extended school services in the light of the report Unfinished Business: where next for extended schools?, published by the Child Poverty Action Group and the Family and Childcare Trust; and what assessment they have made of the report's recommendations.

Lord Nash: The report “Unfinished Business: where next for extended schools?” was received and reviewed by my Department. Officials have met representatives of the Child Poverty Action Group to discuss the findings. This report adds to our evidence base in this policy area. My Department is also currently extending that evidence base by conducting in-depth research on what activities schools offer outside their core timetable and the challenges they encounter. As a part of the March 2016 Budget, the previous Chancellor announced that funding from the soft drinks industry levy would help up to 25% of secondary schools to extend their school day. The Department is currently determining the details of how this funding will be allocated and we will provide further details in due course.

Sex and Relationship Education

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the importance of the teaching of high quality sex and relationship education in schools in preventing violence against women.

Lord Nash: The Government wants to provide all young people with a curriculum that prepares them to succeed in modern Britain. This includes sex and relationship education (SRE) that is age-appropriate and fit for the world they live in today. Sex education (SE) is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many academies and primary schools choose to teach it. Any school that teaches sex education must have regard to the Secretary of State’s statutory guidance on sex and relationships education. In some schools, sex and relationship education (SRE) is taught as part of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE). Both the Secretary of State’s statutory guidance on sex and relationships education and the PSHE Association’s non-statutory programme of study for PSHE include guidance on teaching about positive relationships. The Government welcomes the Women and Equalities Select Committee (WESC) recommendations on preventing sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools and we have responded setting out steps we will take in response, working with key partners. The case for further action on PSHE and SRE delivery is actively under review, with particular consideration to improving quality and accessibility.

National Curriculum Tests

Lord Maxton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of recent changes to the national curriculum and teacher assessment frameworks on the need for effective and clear communication between teachers and parents on children's performance in school.

Lord Maxton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from parents concerning communications between teachers and parents on children's performance in school.

Lord Nash: The Government removed the system of levels used to report children’s attainment in September 2014. As set out in the report of The Commission on Assessment Without Levels, published in September 2015, levels had come to have a negative impact on teaching and did not provide a suitable means of assessing the attainment of pupils accurately.Levels were only ever intended to be used for end of Key Stage statutory assessment but, over time, they came to dominate all assessment. The decision to remove levels has granted schools the freedom to choose an approach to assessment and reporting that works for their pupils and their curriculum. The report published by the Commission provided helpful guidance and best practice to schools on developing new approaches to assessment and reporting.Even though levels have been removed, statutory assessments at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 remain, as does the requirement on schools to report annually to parents on their child’s achievements and progress.

Pupils: Bullying

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Nash on 24 November (HL Deb, col 2046), (1) how Ofsted inspectors categorise incidents of bullying, discriminatory and prejudicial behaviour, either direct or indirect, including racist, sexist, disability and homophobic bullying, use of derogatory language, and racist incidents, in relation to the wider assessment of the school; (2) what specific measures and actions Ofsted recommends after such incidents are recorded; and (3) how progress is monitored and recorded.

Lord Nash: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the proposal to replace the 50 per cent cap on faith-based admissions to faith schools, as set out in the Government consultation Schools that work for everyone, what consideration they have given to the finding of the Education Policy Institute that "there is a risk that increasing the numbers of faith schools would come at the price of increased social segregation, with a risk of lower social mobility".

Lord Nash: The EPI report fails to recognise the fact that the government’s proposals are about creating more good school places for more parents in more parts of the country by giving them more choice. Our proposals to expand the number of good school places available to parents will help more young people, irrespective of their background, have the chance to go as far as their talents will take them. Faith schools are among the highest performing schools in the country, with more primary and secondary faith schools judged good or outstanding than their non-faith counterparts[1]. Faith schools are popular with parents and the removal of the 50% faith cap will enable the establishment of even more good schools.  [1]Ofsted official statistics: Maintained schools and academies inspections and outcomes as at 31 March 2016 shows faith schools are more likely to be good or outstanding as compared to non-faith schools (89% as compared to 86% at primary; 81% as compared to 75% at secondary).

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Kids Company

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the £3 million grant received by Kids Company in July 2015 was (1) spent on staff wages, (2) returned to the Cabinet Office, and if so, on what dates, and (3) returned with interest if the funding was placed in a bank account with Kids Company.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The return of the grant payment made to Kids Company in July 2015 is a matter for the Official Receiver. The Official Receiver's consideration is ongoing.

Ofcom: Finance

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the source of funding for Ofcom; whether it levies fees and charges; and if so, (1) under what authority, (2) against whom, and (3) what mechanisms there are for challenging the level of those fees and charges.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: Ofcom is currently funded through fees from industry for regulating broadcasting and communications networks and from grant in aid from government. The Digital Economy Bill contains a provision to change Ofcom’s funding so that it will be entirely self-funded, only receiving grant-in-aid for delivery of specific government programmes  Under the Communications Act 2003 (sections 38 - 39 and 347) the Broadcasting Act 1990 (sections 4 and 87), the Broadcasting Act 1996 (sections 4 and 43) and the Postal Services Act 2011 (section 43), Ofcom is required to raise income from each of the sectors it regulates, such that it covers the costs to be incurred by Ofcom in regulating that sector. Ofcom currently raises its funds from:TV and Radio broadcasters;Providers of on-demand programme services;Electronic communication network and services providers;The Postal Universal Service Provider andDCMS grant in aid Ofcom imposes its fees in accordance with its published Statement of Charging Principles. Whilst there is no statutory mechanism for challenging Ofcom’s fees, before making or revising its Statement of Charging Principles Ofcom must first consult those people who, in its opinion, are likely to be affected by the principles contained in that document. Ofcom also responds to stakeholders queries on the fees and charges set.

Channel Four Television

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they used to appoint new board members for Channel 4.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: Non-executive members of the Channel 4 Corporation board are appointed by Ofcom with the approval of the Secretary of State. Ofcom advertised for four vacancies for candidates with specific sector skills and experience. The Secretary of State approved the four candidates on the basis that they met the skills and experience set out in the four advertised job descriptions.

Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures Review

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to complete and then publish the review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures began with a 6 week call for evidence on 24 October, closing on 4 December. The call for evidence generated a lot of interest from the general public, as well as from a variety of interest groups, local authorities, trade bodies and industry. We are now looking in depth at the evidence and aim to publish our findings and any proposals in spring 2017.

Telecommunications: Planning Permission

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 29 November and 6 December (HL3375 and HL3759), who are the members of the independent group representing communications and planning interests which monitors non-compliance with the code of practice, and how the group can be contacted.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The independent review group of the Cabinet and Pole Siting Code of Practice was chaired by a representative of the Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator and its membership comprised of representatives from the following organisations: Openreach Virgin Media Sky UK Competitive Telecommunications Association (UKCTA) Planning Officers Society National Parks Authority The National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Historic England The group can be contacted through its secretariat which is provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Representatives from other Government departments also attended meetings as required.

Home Office

Firearms

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 21 November (HL Deb, col 1724), how many firearm detection dogs have been trained in each year since 2010; and how many are expected to be trained during the remainder of this Parliament.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The number of detection dogs available for deployment to detect illegal goods and clandestines by Border Force is 110. Border Force has a small but growing number of dogs trained specifically to detect firearms and their component parts, with more firearms detection dogs planned to enter into service from December.

Firearms

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 21 November (HL Deb, cols 1723–4) concerning seizures of illegal firearms, what assessment has been made of the current level of detection technology; and what improvements are being sought.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: A cross-government review of science and technology for firearms detection is currently underway but for reasons of national security the Government is not able to discuss details of the review or its eventual findings.

Firearms

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 21 November (HL Deb, cols 1723–4) concerning seizures of illegal firearms, what discussions they have held with other EU member states to ensure that the UK can maintain and enhance joint working capabilities with EU member states following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The importance of UK cooperation with EU Member States to tackle criminal activity and address mutual security concerns has not changed following the vote to leave the EU. We are exploring options for future cooperation arrangements, but it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions on specific measures in advance of formal negotiations.

Counter-terrorism

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent report by the Open Society Justice Initiative, Eroding Trust, how many persons have lost their employment, or resigned their posts, following incorrect or unnecessary referrals to the Channel programme and other Prevent programmes and schemes, since those programmes and schemes began.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We are not aware of any individuals who have lost their employment, or resigned their posts due to any involvement with the Channel programme, beyond what is stated in the report mentioned.Channel is a voluntary and confidential process which provides support to people who may be vulnerable to being drawn into any form of terrorism.

Counter-terrorism

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 15 November (HL2748), when they last met with the Muslim Council of Britain specifically to discuss the Prevent strategy and the threat from radicalisation.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have seen the devastating impact radicalisation can have on individuals, families and communities. Prevent works best when delivered in partnership with communities, civil society groups and individuals.We work with a wide range of organisations in this country to prevent people from becoming radicalised; to challenge poisonous extremist narratives and safeguard our young people and our society. These are organisations prepared to show leadership, point to solutions and challenge and confront terrorist and extremist ideologies whatever form they take.

Road Traffic Offences

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been stopped by the police, resulting in action being taken for road traffic offences, in each year since 2010.

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many full-time equivalent traffic police have been employed in England and Wales in each year from 2010 to date.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the primary function of police officers, as part of the police workforce statistics. These data include officers whose primary function is “Road Policing”. Officers with multiple responsibilities are recorded under their primary function.The data requested are provided in the table. Data for years prior to 2015 were collected under a different framework, with different definitions, and are therefore not directly comparable with data as at 31 March 2015 or 2016. Table 2: Number of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences, and the number of poisitive breath tests, 2010 to 2015, England and Wales1  Calendar year:Number of FPNs issued for motoring offencesNumber of positive breath tests   20101,839,15184,436   20111,439,78380,761   20121,309,05476,179   20131,144,53070,675   20141,022,35265,585   20151,016,82760,019   1. Data on the number of FPNs issued from 2011 onwards are extracted from PentiP and are not directly comparable with data from the previous system.Some forces are unable to make a clear distinction between certain functions and therefore record the majority of, or all, employees under one function. Decisions on the size and composition of the police workforce are operational matters for Chief Officers working with their Police and Crime Commissioners and taking into account local priorities.The Home Office does not hold information centrally on the number of people who have been stopped by the police, resulting in action being taken for road traffic offences. The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of positive breath tests and the number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued for motoring offences each year. These figures are provided for each year since 2010 in the tables. The latter data only relate to motoring offences that were dealt with via an FPN, and do not include offences where the driver was offered and accepted a driver retraining course, or was prosecuted.

Deportation: Democratic Republic of Congo

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being taken to assess the safety of those who have been removed from the UK to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: All returns to the Democratic Republic of Congo, including those persons who raise a protection claim, are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account their individual facts, credible and up-to-date country of origin information and relevant case law.

Police: Counter-terrorism

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 24 November (HL3373), how the work of regional Counter Terrorism Units is monitored to ensure value for money.

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government,further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 24 November (HL3373), what checks are carried out by the Home Office, or by any bodies on its behalf, to ensure that police forces do not spend money allocated to counter-terrorism on activities with no connection to terrorism or serious crime.

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 24 November (HL3373), who is responsible for monitoring compliance by police forces with the National Police Chiefs' Council guidance on policing linked to onshore oil and gas operations, and how compliance is reported to the Home Office.

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 24 November (HL3373), how many meetings have taken place since 2010 between the National Counter Terrorism Police Operations Centre and representatives of the coal and gas industry to discuss fracking protests.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Secretary allocates specific ring-fenced funding for Counter Terrorism Policing to ensure that police have the capabilities to deal with the terrorist threats that we face. This includes allocations at a regional level and to individual forces for specified activities, including for Counter-Terrorism Units. These allocations – and the details of the underpinning grant agreements – are sensitive and not in the public domain.The Home Office oversees performance and delivery by CT policing, including monitoring and agreeing expenditure. In doing so, we work closely with the national lead for counter-terrorism policing and are supported by the National Counter-Terrorism Policing HQ. This oversight includes ensuring CT policing delivers efficiencies and value for money as part of the Spending Review settlement. Individual police forces are also subject to independent audit agreements.The Home Office does not keep information on meetings held between the National Counter Terrorism Police Operations Centre and representatives of the coal and gas industry to discuss fracking protests.The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) guidance on policing linked to onshore oil and gas draws on the experience and lessons learned by forces involved in previous policing operations involving anti-fracking protests.This guidance is not compulsory and police forces may deviate from recommendations provided there is a clear reason to do so. The guidance is regularly reviewed by the National Police Lead responsible for Shale Oil and Gas Exploration on behalf of the NPCC.

Police

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings and discussions they have had with the British Transport Police, the Ministry of Defence Police and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary regarding a merger of those organisations into a new National Infrastructure Constabulary; and whether such a merger will take place during this Parliament.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Strategic Defence and Security Review included a commitment to “integrate infrastructure policing further and to review the options to do this”. The cross-Whitehall review team have been working with British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and they are a part of the governance structure and have provided expert input into the review. No decisions have yet been taken.

HM Treasury

UK Trade with EU

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on public finances of restrictions on the UK's access to the EU’s single market after Brexit.

Lord Young of Cookham: The Government continues to undertake a range of analyses to inform the UK’s position for the upcoming EU exit negotiations. We are seeking the best possible arrangement for the United Kingdom and the work being conducted reflects this.

Inflation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on living standards of future rises in the rate of inflation.

Lord Young of Cookham: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expect inflation to increase to 1.4 per cent by the end of 2016 and peak at 2.6 per cent in Q2 2018. Despite this, by 2021 living standards, as measured by real household disposable income, are forecast by the OBR to be 2.8 per cent higher than they are today. The government is taking steps to support real incomes and employment, including raising the National Living Wage, raising the personal allowance, freezing fuel duty, and providing more affordable homes.

Department of Health

Royal Blackburn Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the increased burdens on the accident and emergency (A&E) services at Royal Blackburn Hospital as a result of the decision not to reopen the A&E department at Chorley Hospital on a full-time basis in the foreseeable future.

Lord Prior of Brampton: No estimate has been made by this Department. It is the responsibility of the National Health Service to plan, develop and improve services locally so they meet the healthcare needs of their local populations. NHS Improvement advises that the impact of the closure of Chorley’s accident and emergency (A&E) department on neighbouring trusts was examined as part of an independent review jointly commissioned by NHS Improvement and NHS England and found to be minimal. Reopening the A&E 12 hours a day is expected to reduce further that impact. NHS Improvement will continue to monitor the situation as part of its ongoing oversight of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and other neighbouring trusts.

NHS: Finance

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of giving priority to new patients over return patients, as proposed in the consultation on the 2017–18 and 2018–19 National Tariff Payment System, by transferring up to 30 per cent of the current payment for follow-up appointments to new appointments.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on patients with chronic diseases of the proposal in the consultation on the 2017–18 and 2018–19 National Tariff Payment System to give priority to new patients over return patients; and what mechanisms are proposed if appropriate services to manage such patients in the community are not put in place.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The proposals in the consultation that relate to reducing the outpatient follow-up price to increase the first attendance are aimed at incentivising the reduction of clinically inappropriate follow-up appointments. It is recognised that not all services are run in the same way and this is why not all follow-up prices were subject to a 30% reduction. Based on an assessment of the specialties, a 10% or 20% percent reduction was applied where appropriate. The services in the 30% category are in the main, surgical, where follow-up rates vary considerably and some may be inappropriately high. In response to sector feedback NHS Improvement (NHSI) made changes to the categorisations before publishing the consultation. If there are pathways within specialities that may be adversely affected, NHSI will consider further guidance to providers and commissioners on the basis of responses to the consultation which closed on 6 December. If providers and commissioners believe that the funding as described in the national tariff is not sufficient to support a service, and the commissioner does not have adequate community provision in place, then the national tariff allows providers and commissioners to agree variations that will allow for the correct provision of care. This could involve agreeing changes to prices, or the way that care is funded. NHSI and NHS England will look at new patient-centred ways of contracting healthcare and are working closely with providers and commissioners to ensure that they allow for care to be delivered in a more joined up way between healthcare providers.

Preventive Medicine

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they are currently spending on measures to prevent (1) dementia, and (2) HIV and AIDS.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We will invest more than £300 million on dementia research over the course of this Parliament. This includes research into causes, diagnosis, cures, care and prevention of dementia. A key aspiration in the Challenge on Dementia 2020, published in February 2015, is to improve public awareness and understanding of the factors which can increase the risk of developing dementia and how people can reduce their risk by living more healthily. Public Health England (PHE) has responsibility for the risk reduction element of the 2020 Challenge and has allocated around £62,000 in 2016-17 to support this ambition. PHE has also allocated £2.5 million in 2016-17 for its Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion programme. These monies are dispersed on HIV prevention programmes, the HIV Prevention Innovation Fund, support for the national HIV self-sampling service, as well as the Sexual and Reproductive Information Service, and on monitoring and evaluation of the programme. On 4 December 2016, NHS England announced an investment of up to £10 million over 3 years as part of a major extension to the national HIV prevention programme led by PHE. The aim is to support those most at risk of acquiring HIV through providing access to pre-exposure prophylaxis within a clinical trial. NHS England also funds access to post-exposure prophylaxis.



Challenge on Dementia 2020
(PDF Document, 977.56 KB)

Dental Health: Children

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 31 October (HL Deb, col 426) concerning the identification by NHS England of 10 areas of deprivation for special treatment on childhood oral health, what that special treatment will consist of.

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 31 October (HL Deb, col 426) concerning the identification by NHS England of 10 areas of deprivation for special treatment on childhood oral health, when they will announce the areas in which the pilot programme will take place; and on what basis those areas have been selected.

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 31 October (HL Deb, col 426), whether they will consider rolling out the treatment programmes across England if the pilots are successful.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England, Public Health England and the Department are working together to finalise the scope of the Oral Health Prevention Programme. The Government anticipates that it will include initiatives to help children who are at greater risk of dental disease to attend the dentist at appropriate intervals and to receive high quality care, including prevention, when they attend. We expect to be able to make an announcement on the areas selected in the coming months. Using data from the latest under five year old survey, detailing decayed, missing and filled teeth, has enabled the identification of areas deemed to have the greatest deprivation. Pilots are not being established. This is a targeted programme, the learning from which will be available to inform future commissioning in particular areas where needed.

Dental Health: Children

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 31 October (HL Deb, col 427), what work Public Health England has undertaken to look into the possibility of adopting an English version of Scotland's Childsmile scheme; and when a decision on this can be expected.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England (PHE) is working to support local authorities who have lead responsibility for commissioning oral health improvement programmes. PHE has recently published toolkits to support the implementation of programmes similar to those in Childsmile and is working locally to support their implementation, including the Local authorities improving oral health: commissioning better oral health for children and young people - An evidence-informed toolkit for local authorities, and Improving oral health: A toolkit to support commissioning of supervised toothbrushing programmes in early years and school settings. Copies of both these toolkits are attached. PHE has also published the Return on investment of oral health interventions tool. This is an online-only toolkit which supports local authorities to model return on investment.



Improving oral health
(PDF Document, 1.93 MB)




Local authorities
(PDF Document, 779.58 KB)

Dental Services: Children

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average cost of a tooth extraction procedure for a child in an NHS hospital.

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average cost of a tooth extraction procedure for a five- to nine-year old in an NHS hospital.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The information is not available in the format requested. The table below shows the average cost to National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts of providing tooth extractions for patients aged 18 years and under during 2014/15: HRG CodeHRG descriptionUnit Cost (£)CD06BExtraction of Multiple Teeth, 18 years and under834CD07BMinor Extraction of Tooth, 18 years and under439 Source: Reference costs, Department of Health

Food: Hygiene

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to strengthen the requirements and penalties relating to the meeting of hygiene standards by food businesses.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) does not have any immediate plans to increase requirements or penalties for hygiene standards. However, though the FSA’s ‘Regulating Our Future’ programme it is working to reform and improve the current regulatory system, thus making sure that people have safe food, food they can trust, and that it is what it says it is.

Four Seasons Health Care

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the debt levels of Four Seasons Health Care; whether they have any plans to intervene to protect the interests of patients; and whether they are able to require the company's private equity owner to invest new equity.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Adult social care is largely delivered through an independent sector of care provider organisations that operate in a competitive market. As with any market, some providers enter and exit, which is an important mechanism for driving up quality and effectiveness. Market exits are regular occurrences and are handled effectively by local government. It is of course vital that vulnerable people with care needs do not have their services interrupted if their care provider failed financially and services stop. The Care Act 2014 introduced new duties on local authorities and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to protect and reassure people with care needs, their families and friends. The Act places a duty on all local authorities in England to temporarily step in and make sure all people in their area continue to have their needs met, regardless of who pays for their care. Recognising that local authorities might struggle if a significant provider were to fail, the CQC has a new function to oversee and monitor the financial sustainability of the largest and most difficult to replace providers. The oversight function provides an early warning to relevant local authorities in the event that one of these providers is likely to fail and their services cease. Four Seasons Health Care is one of the providers that because of their size, is part of the CQC’s Market Oversight Scheme. CQC continues to monitor the finances of all of the providers in the scheme. Government has no powers to require a private company that is acting lawfully to change its financial approach. The Care Act 2014 also places new duties on local authorities to promote their local market to ensure all service users have a choice of high quality services available.

NHS: Migrant Workers

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assurances they intend to give to NHS employees who were born in other EU member states that they will be able to continue working in the NHS following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health have made it clear that they wish for European Union (EU) citizens, including those working in health and social care, to remain in the United Kingdom once the UK has left the EU, and that this would only not be possible if British citizens’ rights in European member states were not protected in return. The Government is working hard to achieve that outcome.